Railway-spike.



Patented Feb. 20, 1900. P. J. KLEIN.

RAILWAY SPIKE.

(Application filed. May 25, 1899.)

(No Model.)

W/TNEgS INVENTOH 1/ w Jam? $1M W BY/V ATTORNEY v1 FFICE.

PATENT PETER J. KLEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,658, dated February20, 1900.

Application filed May 2 5, l 8 9 9.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER J. KLEIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at New York, (Jamaica,) in the countyof Queens and Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Railway-Spike, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to spikes; and the object thereof is to provideaspike by means of which a wooden rail may be secured to a tie orsleeper without passing the spike through the same, so that the spikemay be disengaged without injury to the rail.

My invention is especially adapted for use in electric-railway systemswhere the current is taken from a third rail. It has been the custom tomake this third rail of iron or steel; but lately an attempt has beenmade to use a wooden rail with an iron or steel plate on the top thereofand wires mounted in a groove in the top of the rail beneath the plate.A serious objection to the use of this system has arisen from the factthat in order to secure the wooden rail in position the spikes had to bedriven through the same into the tie or sleeper, and in repairing theroad when it was necessaryto remove the tie or sleeper the spikes had tobe withdrawn, and as the rails are comparatively very fragile they aregenerally so injured by this operation that the entire rail or sectionof rail has to be replaced. I have accordingly designed this spike tohold the rail in position without driving it through the rail. 1 attainthis object by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a sectional end view of a third rail constructed ofwood in accordance with the present practice and showing one of myimproved spikes applied thereto and a second spike in the position itoccupies when being driven into the sleeper, and Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of my improved spike.

Similar numerals of reference refer to like parts in each of the views.

In the practice of my invention I provide a spike consisting of twoparts 5 and 6, each of which is provided at one end with a lug 7,whereby a shoulder 8 is formed on each, and through a hole in each ofsaid lugs I pass a bolt 9, by means of which they are held to- SerialNo. 718,246. (No model.)

gether and a hinged joint is formed. The part 5 is provided with abeveled end 10 and the part 6 is provided with an angular extension 11,which is provided with a beveled end 12, the beveled part 12 being onthe sides when the spike is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In operation the spike is driven into the sleeper 13, the spike being inthe position shown at the left of Fig. 1 and the sledge be ing appliedas indicated by the arrow 14. When driven into the said sleeper as faras desired, the part 6 is then turned up until the beveled end 12 of theextension 11 is against the rail, when by applying the sledge, asindicated by the arrow 15, the same is driven into the said rail, andwhen all the spikes are in position the said rail will be securely held,as will be readily understood. When it is de sired to remove a tieorsleeper, a bar can be inserted between the part 6 and the rail 16 andthe part 6 can be thrown back into the position shown at the left ofFig. 1, when the spike can be easily withdrawn from the sleepe, as willbe readily understood, without injury to the rail.

It will be noticed that the part 11 has beveled sides, so that indriving it into the rail 16 the grain of the wood is out instead ofbeing forced apart, as would be the case if the top and bottom of thepart 11 were beveled or if the part 11 were pointed.

Instead of driving the spike into the sleeper when in the position shownat theleft of Fig. l the spike may be held upright,as in Fig. 2,and Ihave so constructed the lugs 7 and shoulders 8 that they will bearagainst each other, respectively, when being driven, so that the bolt 9will not be broken. It is also evident that if the holes in the lugs 7were made large enough so that the bolt would have some play the stresswould come entirely on the lugs and shoulders if the spike were drivenwhen standing upright.

I do not limit myself to the kind of joint which may be formed betweenthe parts 5 and 6 nor to the angle at which the extension 11 projectsfrom the bodyof the part 6, but reserve the right to make all changeswhich fairly come within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A railway-spike consisting of two parts hinged together,0ne of saidparts being adapted to be driven into the tie or sleeper, and the otherpart being adapted to be driven into the rail, for the purpose setforth.

2. A railway-spike consisting of two parts hinged together,one of saidparts being sharpened at the free end, the other part being providedwith an angular extension which is sharpened at the end, for the purposeset forth.

3. A railway-spike consisting of two parts hinged together, one of saidparts being sharpened at the free end, and the other part being providedwith an angular extension the end of which is beveled at the sides,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein-described railway-spike,co11- sisting of parts 5 and (3,said part 5 being sharpened at the free end,and being provided with alug 7 and shoulder 8, the part 6 being provided with a similar lug andshoulder,and said lugs being connected together in such a way that theend of each lug will bear against the shoulder of the opposite part whenthe said parts are extended, said part 6 being provided with an angularextension 11 the sides of the end of which are beveled, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereto aflixed my signaturein the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER J. KLEIN.

Vitnesses:

MARY R. GEEK, EDW'ARD WINsToN GEER.

